Counter Strike 2 features 5v5 bomb defuse matches where two teams go up against each other and the first to win 13 rounds secures the win. That’s what CS2 betting is all about! However, some esports bookmakers, such as Stake, offer CS2 duels betting, a fast-paced 1v1 alternative that leaves no room for error.
[cta id=6479 type=cta]Yes, this means you can now bet on CS2 1v1 for money and watch 2 players go at it live on Twitch. But, these 1v1 clashes are usually either showcase matches or small tournaments featuring Tier B players at best. In other words, CS2 duels betting is not that popular and, due to its inherent randomness, these betting markets typically don’t come with deep coverage.
What is CS2 Duels Betting?
CS2 duels betting represents the opportunity for wagering on CS2 1v1 tournament matches. According to our research, CS2 odds for these 1v1 clashes are available on several sites, including Stake. So, if you’re interested in CS2 1v1 betting, you should check out Stake. We recommend you check out our comprehensive Stake Esports review for more information on this bookmaker.
When referring to CS2 duels betting, some of you might think about player vs. player betting options available during big events like CS2 Majors or BLAST series. We’ll address that common misconception right below.
Not to Be Mistaken with Player vs. Player Bets
Before going any further, we’d like to explain the key differences between CS2 duels betting and popular player vs. player bets available during conventional (read 5v5) tournaments.
- CS2 duels betting: Represents CS2 1v1 betting action with just 2 players going up against each other, either in a small tournament or as a showcase match.
- Player vs. player props: These bets are available in classic 5v5 matches. The bookmaker specifies 2 players, usually the top fraggers from each team, and it’s on you to guess which of them will finish the game with more kills.
Biggest CS2 1v1 Tournaments
When talking about the biggest CS2 1v1 tournaments, we have to go back to the golden era of CSGO. Back in 2016, the HTC 1v1 Invitational by PGL featured 16 top-notch players, including stars like KennyS, GuardiaN, and Shox. In the end, Shox won the tournament and secured a $10,000 grand prize. Betting lines for this particular event were available on most major skin betting sites that were up and running at the time.
The second notable CS2 1v1 tournament was the infamous BLAST Pro Standoff series. These weren’t standalone 1v1 tournaments, but a series of showcase matches that ran through 2018 and 2019. They featured world-class players going at it in a 1v1 manner, showcasing nothing but raw mechanical skill and composure. Unfortunately, neither of these two CS2 1v1 tournaments took off.
Why is CS2 1v1 Betting Not Yet Popular?
One of the biggest factors for setting up a betting market is a game’s popularity. Obviously, CS2 is an incredibly popular game with a large player base who are interested in the professional scene. However, the large majority are interested in the 5 vs 5 competitive game mode and so this will be reflected in the options CS2 betting sites present to bettors.
As of yet, the 1v1 scene has not grown substantially. This makes it complicated when trying to set up CS2 1v1 betting. When a game mode is so small, the skill discrepancy will be so large that a lot of the games will be very one-sided. Crowds do however enjoy massive superstars taking on 1v1 duels for showcase, but for a large-scale sustainable scene, it is just not enough.
Here’s one of the most iconic CS2 1v1 duels in history:
Lack of Professionally Organized Tournaments
CS2 1v1 matches are a casual game mode designed to be played with your friends. It is not set up to be played in a professional style format. Due to this, there are many problems when it comes to setting up a betting market. BLAST Standoff had a great idea with their 1v1 series, but it just never kicked off. Plus, players’ schedules are already too tight with the sheer volume of CS2 tournaments, so putting them through additional matches is not plausible.
Without an organized and trusted partner to put on a tournament, and considering the players’ tight schedules, the integrity of the market is immediately put into question. It would be unethical for companies to allow betters to use CS2 sites for betting on Counter-Strike 1v1 betting.
Currently, you can only bet during 1v1 matches when you live bet on Twitch streamers, and they happen to be having a 1v1 duel. Alternatively, you can wait for a big-scale event from ESL or BLAST to feature a showcase that might feature these markets.
Randomness
One of the reasons CS2 1v1 betting has not picked up a lot of interest is due to the inherent randomness in the game.
- There are no strategic elements or kill trading here.
- Most of the time, the player who sees his opponent first wins the round.
- This means that in games where there are two evenly matched players, there is still a large element of randomness in the game.
- So while it may be a close game, there may not be very many exciting rounds.
- This does not make for a great viewing experience like regular CS2 betting does in the 5 vs 5 format.
If you are interested in playing this game mode, here is a guide on how to 1v1 in CS2.
[cta id=6479 type=cta]